The Grand Bounce
Encyclopedia
The Grand Bounce is the third solo album by Gordon Downie
, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip
. It was released on June 8, 2010.
(vocals, guitar, bass), Josh Finlayson (bass, guitar), Dale Morningstar (lead guitar), Dave Clark (drums), and Dr. Pee (keyboards). The Country of Miracles also known as The Dinner is Ruined
have worked with Downie on his previous two solo releases, Coke Machine Glow
and Battle of The Nudes
. The Country of Miracles provided support to Downie as his backing band during his subsequent tours.
The Grand Bounce was produced by Chris Walla
, a guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie
. Downie had meet Walla during the Pemberton Festival in 2008 when Walla encountered Downie backstage. The album was recorded over a span of two weeks at The Tragically Hip's recording studio, the Bathouse located in Kingston
, Ontario
, the home town of the band.
The album takes its title from Son of the Morning Star
by Evan S. Connell
, a book which Downie was reading. While reading the book Downie came across the phrase "the grand bounce" referring to desertion, which he later used as the title to the album.
The painting on the cover of the album, titled Mohr for the late painter Ingeborg Mohr, was painted by Downie. He painted the painting for the Creative Arts Jem Auction, located in Toronto
.
by fellow Canadian artist Buck 65
. The song "Whispers of the Waves" uses various lines from the "The Drowning Machine". Gord Downie served as a guess vocalist on Buck 65's release .
The song "Night is for Getting" was originally released in 2004 as a bonus track to The Tragically Hip's album In Between Evolution
. The lyrics were heard throughout the In Violet Light
tour, as Gord has a tendency to incorporate unreleased lyrics into his live performances. The 2004 release contained a heavier arrangement then the Grand Bounce release due to the incorporation of more distorted musical components. The Grand Bounce version was generally more acoustic and keyboard based, which is similar to Gord Downie's previous solo work. Downie was joined by a female vocalist, who provided backing vocals throughout the song and during the chorus.
The closing track "Pinned" contains various noticeable background chatter and noises. Downie recorded the vocal track while on a VIA rail train. The track was recorded on Garageband
and the microphone picked up different noises in the area. This included the train's whistle, which is heard multiple times throughout the song, and a conversation which is heard towards the end of the song.
gave the album an 8/10 and stated that it "retains the indie rock-poet aesthetic of its predecessors while splicing in a measure of arena-sized muscle borrowed from his daytime gig". Aaron Brophy of ChartAttack gave the album a rating of 4/5. Brophy stated that "The hash-hazed sonic adventuring of the old records has been effectively compartmentalized in favour of a more zen approach and the end result is some of the best songs in the Downie canon". Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star
described the album as "the work of an artist still driven to advance his art" and "the work of an artist having fun".
The Grand Bounce was listed as a Top 10 Canadian album of the year by CBC Radio 2.
Gordon Downie
Gordon Edgar Downie is a Canadian rock musician, writer and occasional actor. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He has released three solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001, Battle of the Nudes in 2003; and The Grand Bounce in 2010...
, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
. It was released on June 8, 2010.
Background
Downie's backing band, "The Country of Miracles", is composed of established Canadian musicians Julie DoironJulie Doiron
Julie Doiron is an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage.-Background:Doiron started playing guitar in Eric's Trip at the age of eighteen, having joined the band at the insistence of her then-boyfriend, Rick White, also of Eric's Trip...
(vocals, guitar, bass), Josh Finlayson (bass, guitar), Dale Morningstar (lead guitar), Dave Clark (drums), and Dr. Pee (keyboards). The Country of Miracles also known as The Dinner is Ruined
The dinner is ruined
The Dinner Is Ruined is a Canadian indie rock band. Formed in 1991 by Dale Morningstar, the band plays an experimental and improvisational brand of blues rock.The band members are Dale Morningstar, Dave Clark and Dr. Johnny Pee...
have worked with Downie on his previous two solo releases, Coke Machine Glow
Coke Machine Glow
Coke Machine Glow was the first solo album released by Gordon Downie, the singer for The Tragically Hip. It was released in 2001.Early copies of the album were released as a joint package with a book by Downie, also titled Coke Machine Glow. The book included the song lyrics from the album and...
and Battle of The Nudes
Battle of the Nudes
Battle of the Nudes may refer to:* Battle of the Nudes , a 15th century artwork by Italian sculptor Antonio Del Pollaivolo* Battle of the Nudes , a 2003 album by Canadian musician Gordon Downie...
. The Country of Miracles provided support to Downie as his backing band during his subsequent tours.
The Grand Bounce was produced by Chris Walla
Chris Walla
Christopher Walla is an American musician and music producer, most notable for being the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg...
, a guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
. Downie had meet Walla during the Pemberton Festival in 2008 when Walla encountered Downie backstage. The album was recorded over a span of two weeks at The Tragically Hip's recording studio, the Bathouse located in Kingston
Kingston
Kingston is widely accepted as a contraction of the English "King's Town", of which there are many examples. It may refer to:-Australia:*Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, suburb of Canberra*Kingston, Norfolk Island, capital of the territory...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the home town of the band.
The album takes its title from Son of the Morning Star
Son of the Morning Star
Son of the Morning Star is a 1984 non-fiction book on the subject of George Armstrong Custer, with the subtitle 'Custer and the Little Bighorn'. A 1991 television film was based on the book. Both the book and the film chronicle the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the personalities involved, and the...
by Evan S. Connell
Evan S. Connell
Evan Shelby Connell, Jr. is an American novelist, poet, and short story-writer. He has also published under the name Evan S. Connell, Jr. His writing has covered a variety of genres, although he has published most frequently in fiction.In 2009, Connell was nominated for the Man Booker...
, a book which Downie was reading. While reading the book Downie came across the phrase "the grand bounce" referring to desertion, which he later used as the title to the album.
The painting on the cover of the album, titled Mohr for the late painter Ingeborg Mohr, was painted by Downie. He painted the painting for the Creative Arts Jem Auction, located in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Track Information
The seventh track of the album, "The Drowning Machine", was incorporated into the 2011 album 20 Odd Years20 Odd Years
20 Odd Years is an album by Canadian hip-hop artist Buck 65. It , and is named in honour of Buck 65's 20 years in the music industry.- 20 Odd Years EPs :...
by fellow Canadian artist Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
. The song "Whispers of the Waves" uses various lines from the "The Drowning Machine". Gord Downie served as a guess vocalist on Buck 65's release .
The song "Night is for Getting" was originally released in 2004 as a bonus track to The Tragically Hip's album In Between Evolution
In Between Evolution
In Between Evolution is the ninth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was recorded at Studio X in Seattle and was released June 29, 2004. The album debuted at #1 in Canada, selling 22,500 copies in its first week. However, sales of the album dropped by 50 percent the...
. The lyrics were heard throughout the In Violet Light
In Violet Light
In Violet Light is the eighth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in 2002 and was produced by Hugh Padgham...
tour, as Gord has a tendency to incorporate unreleased lyrics into his live performances. The 2004 release contained a heavier arrangement then the Grand Bounce release due to the incorporation of more distorted musical components. The Grand Bounce version was generally more acoustic and keyboard based, which is similar to Gord Downie's previous solo work. Downie was joined by a female vocalist, who provided backing vocals throughout the song and during the chorus.
The closing track "Pinned" contains various noticeable background chatter and noises. Downie recorded the vocal track while on a VIA rail train. The track was recorded on Garageband
GarageBand
GarageBand is a software application for Mac OS X and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. It is developed by Apple Inc. as a part of the iLife software package on Mac OS X.-Audio recording:...
and the microphone picked up different noises in the area. This included the train's whistle, which is heard multiple times throughout the song, and a conversation which is heard towards the end of the song.
Reception
Ross Langager of PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
gave the album an 8/10 and stated that it "retains the indie rock-poet aesthetic of its predecessors while splicing in a measure of arena-sized muscle borrowed from his daytime gig". Aaron Brophy of ChartAttack gave the album a rating of 4/5. Brophy stated that "The hash-hazed sonic adventuring of the old records has been effectively compartmentalized in favour of a more zen approach and the end result is some of the best songs in the Downie canon". Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
described the album as "the work of an artist still driven to advance his art" and "the work of an artist having fun".
The Grand Bounce was listed as a Top 10 Canadian album of the year by CBC Radio 2.